Joel Poinsett Essay, Research Paper
Joel Poinsett
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In 1825 President John Quincy Adams appointed Joel Poinsett as the first U.S. minister
to Mexico. His first assignment was to persuade the Mexican government to sell the
U.S. the province of Texas, thus continuing the rapid expansion of the American
democracy. The United States continued to pursue Texas with little success for the
next 20 years. It was not until December 1845 when the U.S. finally annexed Texas by
a joint resolution (and thus simple majority) . Immediately following the Texas
acquisition, and with U.S.-Mexico relations swiftly deteriorating, the U.S. wanted the
Mexican province of California, mainly for her harbours San Frasisco and San Diego. The
American policy towards Mexico which ensued in the following years was governed
almost exclusively by President James Polk’s personal opinions and actions, as well as
Nicholas Trist’s defiant behavior; a manifestation of the state-centric theory in which
key individual decision makers govern policy. In addition, Polk’s policies were secondarily
influenced by the consideration of relative power, American mass ideology, and Public
In 1845 President Polk began, cofidentially from the public, considering the annexation
of California. Polk’s initial desire was to simply purchase California, attempting to
maintain peace. He soon learned this would be impossible. When Polk ordered General
Taylor to cross the Nueces River and eventually to fortify on the Rio Grande, he fully
understood the possilble consequences of these actions. In fact, by deploying Taylor
and his troops, Polk putting a slow squeeze on the Mexicans which would leave them
with no other option than to strike back. Polk waited for the initial attack to be made
by the Mexicans and then struck back. Polk claimed that American blood had been
spilled on American soil, thus garnering enough public and congressional support to
declare war on Mexico safe from domestic unrest. Norman Graebner states that, ” Polk
was too astute a politician to favor any cause until public opinion had crystallized “1
Although the war decleration contained no reference to the territorial conquest, Polk’s
persaonal diary conveys his clandestine intentions of acquiring the much coveted
California as well as New Mexico. The intentions of the President to occupy Mexico
undoubtedly took into consideration public opinion, but the most prominent reason for
the decleration of war was Polk’s belief that california was a strong economic and
militarily strategic addition to the U.S. Secretary of Navy George Bancraft noted that
the acquisition of California was among Polk’s top four priorities from the outset of his
administration, however, Polk had kept this under wraps. Glenn Price also points out
that, “…the Mexican War was a result of President Polk utilizing Texas as a means to
achieve annexation of California. “2 It is quite evident that Polk may have been
following his own personal agenda in regards to acquiring Mexican territories, and
beginning a war to do so.
Unquestionably the most important domestic issue in the years prior to the American
Civil War was slavery. John C. Calhoun recognized that, …if the treaty ending the
conflict was silent on the subject of slavery in the ceded territory, the North will
oppose it, and if it should prohibit slavery the South would, and in either event there
would be a constitutional majority.